I Didn't Expect A New Creatine Flavor To Become My Favorite Part Of Strength Training

If there's one thing I've learned over the past year and a half, it's that getting stronger doesn't happen by accident.

Since having my son 16 months ago, I've wanted to rebuild the strength I had before pregnancy—not just so I feel confident in workouts, but so I can keep up with an increasingly active toddler, haul groceries up New York City subway stairs, and move through everyday life feeling capable.

Over the past month, I've recommitted to strength training with a simple goal of progressively get stronger every week.

I've been following workouts on the Ladder app six mornings a week, lifting at home with dumbbells. The biggest shift hasn't been working out more (although that's definitely part of it), it's working out with more intention.

Instead of repeating the same exercises with the same weights day after day, I'm paying attention to progressive overload: increasing my weight when I can, slowing the tempo, adding another set, or making each movement a little more challenging than the week before. It's incredibly motivating because the progress feels tangible.

In just a few weeks, I've gone from reaching for mostly 10- and 15-pound dumbbells to incorporating the 20s into more workouts. Not every exercise, of course, but enough to notice a real difference.

My husband even commented recently, "You look stronger than when you were taking workout classes."

Creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements available for supporting muscle strength, power, and recovery.* And since my goal right now is building lean muscle and getting stronger, it felt like an obvious addition to my routine.

After about four weeks of consistent use, I've noticed that I recover well enough to come back the next day ready to train again. Combined with progressive overload, that consistency has made it feel like I'm building momentum much faster than I have in previous attempts to get back into strength training.*

Listen, building routines is boring. Showing up every day is difficult. Doing the work is not glamorous. Sipping a refreshing mango tea drink is an easy way to infuse a little fun into creating lasting new habits. (I know I'm not the only one who loves a fun bevvy!)

If you grew up in the '90s, the flavor profile instantly reminded me of those powdered iced tea drinks, but in a much more grown-up way.

The best way I can describe it is nostalgic.

It has that refreshing peach iced tea feeling (despite being mango), without tasting overly sweet or artificial. This is crucial because I usually don't enjoy heavily sweetened functional beverages. Instead, it tastes like a crisp iced tea you'd want to sip on after spending the afternoon outside.

I usually mix one serving into a large bottle of water after breakfast after I've finished lifting. Sometimes, if I'm still working through my coffee, I'll save it for after lunch instead.

One thing I have learned is that I personally tolerate creatine much better with a full meal. Taking it on an empty stomach can make my stomach feel a little off, but with food, I have no issues.

The biggest benefit I've noticed over the last month isn't just that I'm lifting heavier.* Rather, it's that I've finally found a routine I want to stick with.

Strength training has become something I look forward to each morning, and this creatine has become part of that ritual. The nostalgic flavor makes staying consistent surprisingly easy, and because creatine works best when you take it every day, that's a bigger advantage than it might seem.